The Little Purse with Two Half-pennies
by Unknown · from Roumanian Fairy Tales
Adapted Version
The Old Man and The Old Woman lived. The Old Woman had a hen. The Hen laid many eggs. The Old Woman ate them all. She did not share. She was very greedy.
The Old Man wanted eggs. The Old Woman said, "Scold your Rooster!" The Old Man scolded The Rooster. The Rooster felt sad. It ran away from home. It went on the road.
The Rooster walked. It found a small purse. The purse had two coins. A carriage came. The Rich Man took the purse. He drove away.
The Rooster ran after the carriage. It called out loud. "Kikeriki, sir, Kikerikak," it sang. "Give my little purse back!" The Rooster ran and ran. It was very brave.
The Rich Man was angry. He threw The Rooster in a well. The Rooster drank all the water. The well became empty. The Rooster flew out. It was safe.
The Rich Man was still mad. He threw The Rooster on hot coals. The Rooster spit out water. The fire went out. The coals got cold. The Rooster ran away.
The Rich Man tried again. He threw The Rooster with cows. The Rooster ate all the cows. It ate the big bulls. It grew very big. It was like a mountain.
The Rich Man put The Rooster in room. This room had much gold. The Rooster ate all the gold. It ate all the money. The room was empty. The Rooster flew out.
The Rich Man gave the purse back. He was very tired. The Rooster went home. It went to The Old Man's house. Many cows followed it. Much gold was inside it.
The Rooster shook its body. Gold fell out. Many animals came out. The Old Man was very happy. He was now very rich. He hugged The Rooster.
The Old Woman saw the gold. She saw the animals. She wanted gold too. She shouted at her Hen. "Bring me gold!" she said. She was very greedy.
The Hen ran away. It found a small bead. It brought the bead back. It gave it to The Old Woman.
The Old Woman was very angry. She yelled at The Hen. The Hen got scared. It ran away fast. It was never seen again. The Old Woman was alone.
The Old Man lived a good life. He had The Rooster. He was kind. The Old Woman was sad. She was still poor. Greed made her lonely.
Original Story
The Little Purse with two Half-pennies.
here was once an old man and an old woman. The old woman had a hen and the old man had a rooster; the old woman's hen laid two eggs a day and she ate a great many, but she would not give the old man a single one. One day the old man lost patience and said: "Listen, old crony, you live as if you were in clover, give me a couple of eggs so that I can at least have a taste of them."
"No indeed!" replied the old woman, who was very avaricious. "If you want eggs, beat your rooster that he may lay eggs for you, and then eat them; I flogged my hen, and just see how she lays now."
The old man, being stingy and greedy, listened to the old woman's talk, angrily seized his rooster, gave him a sound thrashing and said:
"There, now, lay some eggs for me or else go out of the house, I won't feed you for nothing any longer."
As soon as the rooster escaped from the old man's hands it ran off down the high-road. While thus pursuing its way, lo and behold! it found a little purse with two half-pennies. Taking it in its beak, the bird turned and went back toward the old man's house. On the road it met a carriage containing a gentleman and several ladies. The gentleman looked at the rooster, saw a purse in its bill, and said to the driver:
"Get down and see what this rooster has in its beak."
The driver hastily jumped from his box, took the little purse from the rooster's bill, and gave it to his master. The gentleman put it in his pocket and drove on. The rooster was very angry and ran after the carriage, repeating continually:
"Kikeriki, sir, Kikerikak,
To me the little purse give back."
The enraged gentleman said to the coachman as they passed a well:
"Take that impudent rooster and throw it into the well."
The driver got down from his box again, seized the rooster, and flung it down the well. When the rooster saw that its life was in such great danger, what was it to do?
It began to swallow the water, and drank and drank till it had swallowed all the water in the well. Then it flew out and again ran after the carriage, calling:
"Kikeriki, sir, Kikerikak,
To me the little purse give back."
When the gentleman saw this, he was perfectly amazed and said:
"Hoho! This rooster is a perfect imp of Satan! Never mind! I'll wring your neck, you saucy cockerel!" When he reached home he told the cook to take the rooster, throw it on the coals burning upon the hearth, and push a big stone in front of the opening in the chimney. The old woman did what her master bade her.
When the rooster saw this new injustice, it began to spit out the water it had swallowed till it had poured all the water from the well upon the burning coals. This put out the fire, cooled the hearth, and made such a flood on the kitchen floor that the cook fainted away from pure rage. Then the rooster gave the stone a push, came out safe and sound, ran to the gentleman's window, and began to knock on the panes with its bill, screaming:
"Kikeriki, sir, Kikerikak,
To me the little purse give back."
"Heaven knows that I've got a torment in this monster of a rooster," said the gentleman. "Driver, rid me of it, toss it into the middle of the herds of cows and oxen; perhaps some bull will stick its horns through it and relieve us." The coachman seized the rooster and flung it among the herds. You ought to have seen the rooster's delight. It swallowed bulls, oxen, cows, and calves, till it had devoured the whole herd and its stomach had grown as big as a mountain. Then it went to the window again, spread out its wings before the sun so that it darkened the gentleman's room, and once more began:
"Kikeriki, sir, Kikerikak,
To me the little purse give back."
When the gentleman saw this he was ready to burst with rage and did not know what to do to get rid of the rooster. He stood thinking till at last an idea entered his head:
"I'll lock it up in the treasure-chamber. Perhaps if it tries to swallow the ducats one will stick in its throat, and I shall get rid of the bird." No sooner said than done. He grasped the rooster and flung it into the treasure-chamber. The rooster swallowed all the money and left the chests empty. Then it escaped from the room, went to the gentleman's window, and again began:
"Kikeriki, sir, Kikerikak,
To me the little purse give back."
As the gentleman saw that there was nothing else to be done he tossed the purse out. The rooster picked it up, went about its own business, and left the gentleman in peace. All the poultry ran after the rooster so that it really looked like a wedding; but the gentleman turned green with rage as he watched, and said sighing:
"Let them all run off to the last chick, I'm glad to be rid of the torment; there was witchcraft in that rooster!"
But the puffed-up rooster stalked proudly along, followed by all the fowls, and went merrily on and on till he reached the old man's house and began to crow: "Kikeriki!"
When the old man heard the rooster's voice he ran out joyfully to meet the bird, but looking through the door what did he see? His rooster had become a terrible object. An elephant beside it would have seemed like a flea; and following behind came countless flocks of birds, each one more beautiful and brilliant than the other. When the old man saw the rooster so huge and fat, he opened the gate for it. "Master," said the bird, "spread a sheet here in the middle of the yard."
The old man, as nimble as a top, laid down the sheet. The rooster took its stand upon it, spread its wings, and instantly the whole yard was filled with birds and herds of cattle, but it shook out on the sheet a pile of ducats that flashed in the sun till they dazzled the eyes. When the old man beheld this vast treasure he did not know what to do in his delight, and hugged and kissed the rooster.
But all at once the old woman appeared from somewhere, and when she saw this marvelous spectacle her eyes glittered in her head, and she was ready to burst with wrath.
"Dear old friend," she said, "give me a few ducats."
"Pine away with longing for them, old woman; when I begged you for some eggs, you know what you answered. Now flog your hen, that it may bring you ducats. I beat my rooster, and you see what it has fetched me."
The old woman went to the hen-coop, shook the hen, took it by the tail, and gave it such a drubbing that it was enough to make one weep for pity. When the poor hen escaped from the old woman's hands it fled to the highway. While walking along it found a bead, swallowed it, hurried back home as fast as possible, and began to cackle at the gate. The old woman welcomed it joyfully. The hen ran quickly in at the gate, passed its mistress, and went to its nest—at the end of an hour it jumped off, cackling loudly. The old woman hastened to see what the hen had laid. But when she glanced into the nest what did she perceive? A little glass bead. The hen had laid a glass bead! When the old woman saw that the hen had fooled her, she began to beat it, and beat till she flogged it to death. So the stupid old soul remained as poor as a church-mouse. From that time she might live on roast nothing and golden wait a while, instead of eggs, for she had abused and killed the poor hen, though it was not at all to blame.
But the old man was very rich; he built great houses, laid out beautiful gardens, and lived luxuriously. He made the old woman his poultry-maid, the rooster he took about with him everywhere, dressed in a gold collar, yellow boots, and spurs on its heels, so that one might have thought it was one of the Three Kings from the Christmas play instead of a mere ordinary rooster.
Story DNA
Moral
Cruelty and greed lead to ruin, while perseverance and a bit of luck can bring great fortune.
Plot Summary
An old man beats his rooster on his greedy wife's advice, causing the rooster to flee. The rooster finds a small purse, which is then stolen by a wealthy gentleman. The rooster relentlessly pursues the gentleman, surviving multiple magical attempts on its life (swallowing a well, extinguishing a fire, devouring herds, and emptying a treasure chamber) until the gentleman returns the purse. The rooster returns to the old man, bringing immense wealth. The old woman, witnessing this, cruelly beats her hen, hoping for the same fortune, but the hen only lays a worthless bead and is beaten to death, leaving the old woman poor while the old man lives in luxury.
Themes
Emotional Arc
suffering to triumph
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
This tale is a variant of a widespread European folktale, often found in Eastern European traditions, emphasizing themes of justice and the comeuppance of the greedy.
Plot Beats (14)
- An old man and old woman live together; the old woman's hen lays many eggs, but she refuses to share with the old man.
- The old man, frustrated, beats his rooster on the old woman's cruel advice, causing the rooster to run away.
- The rooster finds a purse with two half-pennies but a passing gentleman steals it.
- The rooster chases the carriage, repeatedly demanding its purse back with a specific rhyme.
- The gentleman, annoyed, throws the rooster into a well, but the rooster swallows all the water and escapes.
- The gentleman throws the rooster onto burning coals, but the rooster spits out the well water, extinguishing the fire and escaping again.
- The gentleman throws the rooster among herds of cattle, but the rooster swallows all the animals and grows enormous.
- The gentleman locks the rooster in his treasure chamber, but the rooster swallows all the money and escapes.
- Defeated, the gentleman returns the purse to the rooster, who then returns to the old man's house, followed by all the swallowed animals and carrying the treasure.
- The rooster shakes out the treasure and animals for the old man, making him incredibly wealthy.
- The old woman, seeing the old man's fortune, beats her hen even more severely, hoping for the same result.
- The hen, after being beaten, finds only a glass bead, which it brings back to the old woman.
- Enraged by the hen's failure, the old woman beats it to death, remaining poor.
- The old man lives a luxurious life with his rooster, while the old woman suffers the consequences of her greed and cruelty.
Characters
The Rooster
Initially a normal-sized rooster, it grows to an enormous, mountain-like size after swallowing the well water and the herds of cattle. Its feathers are likely a vibrant, proud red and gold, typical of a healthy rooster, though its exact coloring is not specified. It has strong legs and a powerful beak.
Attire: Initially none. By the end, it wears a gold collar, yellow boots, and spurs on its heels, making it look regal and important.
Wants: To reclaim its lost purse with two half-pennies, and later, to ensure the old man who owns it becomes wealthy and respected.
Flaw: Its initial vulnerability to physical harm (being thrown in a well, onto coals, among cattle).
Transforms from a normal, abused rooster into a magical, enormous, and wealthy benefactor for its owner, gaining immense power and respect.
Determined, clever, resilient, proud, and persistent. It is not easily deterred and will go to extreme lengths to reclaim what it believes is its own. It also possesses a sense of justice.
The Old Man
An old man, described as 'nimble as a top' when excited, suggesting he is spry despite his age. His build is likely lean from a life of simple living. His skin is probably weathered and wrinkled.
Attire: Simple, worn peasant clothing appropriate for an elderly man of humble means. Likely made of coarse linen or wool in muted, earthy tones.
Wants: Initially, to get eggs from his rooster. Later, to enjoy the wealth his rooster brings him and live a luxurious life.
Flaw: Easily influenced by the Old Woman's greed and bad advice, leading him to mistreat his rooster initially.
Transforms from a poor, somewhat stingy old man into a very rich and luxurious one, learning to appreciate his rooster and becoming more generous.
Initially stingy and greedy (like his wife), but also capable of joy and gratitude. He is easily swayed by his wife's bad advice but learns from his mistakes. He is ultimately kind to his rooster.
The Old Woman
An old woman, likely with a gaunt or sharp appearance due to her avarice. Her build is probably thin. Her skin is weathered and wrinkled.
Attire: Simple, worn peasant clothing, but perhaps slightly better kept than the old man's due to her hoarding. Likely made of coarse linen or wool in dark, practical colors.
Wants: To accumulate wealth and keep it for herself, and to replicate the Old Man's success with her own hen.
Flaw: Her overwhelming greed and cruelty, which blinds her to reason and leads to her downfall.
Remains unchanged in her avarice and cruelty, leading to her downfall and continued poverty.
Extremely avaricious, greedy, cruel, and foolish. She is unwilling to share and believes in harsh methods to get what she wants. She is easily enraged and lacks foresight.
The Gentleman
A man of means, likely well-fed and of average height. His appearance suggests wealth and status.
Attire: Fine, era-appropriate clothing for a wealthy gentleman. This would include a tailored coat, waistcoat, breeches, and stockings, possibly made of silk, velvet, or fine wool in rich colors, with decorative buttons or embroidery. He might wear a cravat.
Wants: To keep the purse he stole and to rid himself of the persistent Rooster.
Flaw: His arrogance and short temper, which lead him to underestimate the Rooster and make increasingly foolish attempts to get rid of it.
Remains unchanged in his arrogance and greed, ultimately defeated by the Rooster's persistence and magic, left in a state of green rage.
Arrogant, greedy, easily enraged, and cruel. He believes his status entitles him to take what he wants and reacts violently to defiance. He is also easily amazed by the Rooster's magical abilities.
The Hen
A normal-sized hen, likely plump and healthy from laying two eggs a day. Its feathers are not specified but could be a common brown, white, or speckled.
Attire: None.
Wants: To lay eggs for the Old Woman, and later, to try and bring wealth to its owner after being abused.
Flaw: Lacks any magical abilities, making it vulnerable to abuse and unable to fulfill the Old Woman's greedy demands.
Starts as a productive hen, is abused, attempts to replicate the Rooster's success by swallowing a bead, fails, and is ultimately beaten to death.
Diligent (lays many eggs), but ultimately foolish and unable to replicate the Rooster's magical feats. It is a victim of the Old Woman's cruelty.
Locations
Old Couple's Humble Dwelling
A modest, likely single-room home with a simple hearth for cooking. The interior would be rustic, with basic furnishings. The yard outside is a functional space for poultry.
Mood: Initially tense and avaricious, later joyful and prosperous for the old man, but filled with rage for the old woman.
The old man thrashes his rooster; the old woman thrashes her hen; the rooster returns with riches; the old woman's hen lays a bead.
High-road
A well-traveled dirt or cobblestone road, wide enough for a carriage, flanked by natural elements like trees or fields.
Mood: Initially mundane, then becomes a stage for pursuit and escalating conflict.
The rooster finds the purse; the gentleman's carriage encounters the rooster; the rooster pursues the carriage.
Roadside Well
A traditional stone-lined well, likely with a small roof or a winding mechanism, situated by the side of the road.
Mood: Initially ordinary, then becomes a place of peril and miraculous escape.
The gentleman orders the rooster to be thrown into the well; the rooster swallows all the water and escapes.
Gentleman's Estate (Exterior & Interior)
A grand, likely multi-story house with a large kitchen, a treasure-chamber, and extensive grounds including pastures for herds. The architecture suggests wealth and status, possibly a manor house or small palace.
Mood: Initially one of authority and annoyance, escalating to rage and desperation for the gentleman, but a place of triumph for the rooster.
The rooster is thrown onto the hearth; the rooster puts out the fire; the rooster knocks on the window; the rooster is thrown among the herds; the rooster swallows the herds; the rooster is locked in the treasure-chamber; the rooster swallows the treasure.